The present invention relates generally to home furnishing accessories and more particularly to a removable covering for an existing lamp shade diffuser, commonly referred to only as a lamp shade, having an originally manufactured, decorative cover on an outer surface of the existing lamp shade.
Lamp shades are typically manufactured for sale purposes of relatively stiff, but lightweight material stretched about a metal frame employing manufacturing techniques similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,211,474 and 4,212,052. After an extended period of use in a home, an apartment and the like, the shade may become outdated or discolored so that replacement is desirable. An exact lamp shade replacement, in some cases, may not be possible. On other occasions, it may be desirable to coordinate the appearance of the lamp shade with other room furnishings, such as curtains, bedding, linen, pillows and the like. The range of conventional lamp shade patterns and colors which are available for purchase for such fashion coordination is limited, and is generally expensive.
Decorator lamp shades which are selected to match a decor are expensive to purchase. Accordingly, many homeowners must suffer an inappropriately selected material rather than incur the expense of a decorator lamp shade.
In times of rising costs, homeowners are increasingly turning to do-it-yourself projects for both cost savings and personal satisfaction.
Manufactured lamp shades come in all different shapes and sizes and the cover for an existing lamp shade must be able to accommodate these different shapes and sizes with the shapes running from almost cylindrical to exaggerated conical shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,474 discloses a do-it-yourself lamp shade kit which enables the homeowner to manufacture a basic lamp shade having a wire frame surrounded by a frusto-conical shaped base material which accepts and adheres to fabric adhesives. After a fabric selected by the homeowner is cut out according to the pattern supplied with the kit, the fabric is permanently secured to the base material by a fabric adhesive. To change the decor of the thusly manufactured lamp shade, another kit must be purchased and a new fabric of desired decor must be applied to the base material of the new kit by a fabric adhesive. U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,715 discloses a cover for a lamp shade which provides a draw string to fasten the cover to an existing lamp shade. U.S. Pat. No. 2,593,272 discloses a lamp shade having the lamp shade material secured to the frame by means of stiff, but flexible strips which are detachable so that the lamp shade material can be changed. U.S. Pat. No. 666,683 discloses a lamp shade incorporating ribs therein, but is not concerned with a lamp shade that can be changed, or a cover for a lamp shade to change the decor thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,052 discloses a kit for the home manufacture of a lamp shade having a pair of lamp shade rings, a fabric for the lamp shade and pile-type fastener tapes fastened to the fabric. The homeowner then loops the fabric tape about each of the lampshade rings to form the desired lamp shade. With this arrangement the decor is changed by undoing the fabric tape to free the lamp shade rings and provide a fabric with a new desired decor with fabric tapes secured thereto so that the lamp shade can be rebuilt as above.
It should be clearly understood that the phrase "existing lamp shade", as used in the specification and claims, refers to a lamp shade manufactured for purchase in a store, or a lamp shade made by a homeowner from kits similar to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,212,052 and 5,211,474 with an outer decorative cover.